What Grows in Sublette, Kansas

USDA Zones 6b · 677 acres

Sublette, Kansas, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.

A short list that earns its place here — cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens — with any one site's soil, sun, and drainage making the final cut.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Sublette, no two yards are alike.

A low spot, a south-facing slope, or a stand of trees moves the frost date and sun across a single Sublette lot. Enter your address and we'll score 1,086 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.

We read public map data around Sublette — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Sublette — the short answer

Sublette, Kansas: USDA zone 6b, about 200 days between hard freezes, across 677 acres of city.

USDA zone
6b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 11
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 28
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~200
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
City area
677 acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. Hard-freeze dates are this town’s own 28°F normals: light frosts run a few weeks past them, and tender transplants usually wait 2–3 weeks after the last hard freeze.

Hardiness Zone Range

6b6b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 6b is Sublette's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Sublette's 200-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Sublette

Each reading below is measured for Sublette itself — here is what it means for a garden here, and the move an experienced grower makes about it.

Season length

Measured

Sublette runs about 200 days between hard freezes — a long growing season.

There is slack for succession plantings and slow-finishing crops: many vegetables can be sown twice, and the heat-lovers have time to ripen fully.

Plan a second sowing of quick crops after the first comes out, and use the fall window most gardeners let sit idle.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Sublette sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b.

The zone sets which perennials, shrubs, and fruit trees live through an average winter here — a plant rated for a colder zone is a safe bet, one rated warmer needs winter protection or gets treated as an annual.

Match perennials and fruit to the zone before you buy, so nothing you plant is a gamble against the cold.

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country Sublette is in

Sublette sits in the High Plains — EPA Level III, inside the wider Great Plains. That is read at Sublette's own centroid rather than borrowed from Haskell County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Sublette

Every plant below cleared Sublette's own zone 6b and its 200-day season. Each card opens that plant's Kansas profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in KansasZones 2–11Sublette's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Kansas hazelnut guideZones 4–9Sublette's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in KansasZones 5–8Sublette's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Kansas growing notesZones 2–11Sublette's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in KansasZones 5–8Sublette's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Kansas california poppy guideZones 6–10Sublette's 6b is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in KansasZones 2–10Sublette's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw: Kansas growing notesZones 5–9Sublette's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in KansasSublette's 200 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Kansas kale guideZones 2–11Sublette's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pecan, photograph
Pecan in KansasZones 5–9Sublette's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
angelica, photograph
Angelica: Kansas growing notesZones 4–9Sublette's 200 days clear the ~120 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in KansasZones 2–11Sublette's 200 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Kansas okra guideZones 2–12Sublette's 200 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in KansasZones 2–11Sublette's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Kansas growing notesZones 3–10Sublette's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in KansasZones 2–11Sublette's 200 days clear the ~70 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Kansas lilac guideZones 4–10Sublette's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in KansasZones 3–8Sublette's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Kansas growing notesZones 3–8Sublette's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in KansasSublette's 200 days clear the ~50 it needs.
Oregon grape, photograph
Kansas oregon grape guideZones 5–8Sublette's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in KansasZones 3–9Sublette's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Kansas growing notesZones 6–8Sublette's 6b is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in KansasZones 3–9Sublette's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Kansas ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Sublette's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in KansasZones 2–7Sublette's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Kansas growing notesZones 4–10Sublette's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in KansasZones 2–10Sublette's 200 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Indian grass, photograph
Kansas indian grass guideZones 4–9Sublette's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Sublette?

Almost never — the real question is what to plant next. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 14; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 11 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 28 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With a season this long, “too late” mostly means “switch crops” — second sowings and a full fall garden are the norm, with garlic closing the year.

What's on the federal record near Sublette

Closest first, within ~10 miles of Sublette. Listing isn't leaking, and distance isn't exposure.

  1. MARTIN OIL COUnderground Storage Tanks · 250 ft
  2. 29S 32W 32BD 01Nitrate · 650 ft
  3. 29S 32W 32CA 01Nitrate · 700 ft
  4. APC, INC. - SUBLETTEToxics Release Inventory · 800 ft
  5. THE SNAPPY STOP IIIUnderground Storage Tanks · 850 ft
  6. HI PLAINS ENGINESBrownfields · 950 ft
  7. J B HOLLOWAY & SONS TRUCKINGUnderground Storage Tanks · 1300 ft
  8. USD #374Underground Storage Tanks · 1600 ft
  9. KANSAS DEPT OF TRANSPORTATIONUnderground Storage Tanks · 1900 ft
  10. HASKELL COUNTYUnderground Storage Tanks · 2400 ft
  11. CIRCLE K STORES, INC. 2721607Underground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi
  12. ORTH FARMSUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.6 mi

6 more sites are on the record inside the same radius. See them on the map

Measured from Sublette's center, not your beds. Run your own address for what's upwind of you specifically.

Environmental Intelligence

The counts behind that headline — every source type on the record near Sublette.

Total Sites

140

within ~10 miles of Sublette

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

2 Toxics Release Inventory facilities

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Sublette

High0Moderate83Low57

Highest-Severity Sites

28S 32W 13DC 01
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
28S 32W 13DC 01
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
28S 32W 13DD 01
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
28S 32W 13DD 01
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
28S 32W 18BBB 02
Nitrate Monitoring · Well

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Sublette, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of Sublette — CAFO (3 sites) and Nitrate (72 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.

Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.

Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.

Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Sublette

Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,086 plant recommendations.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Sublette average

Your land is one point inside Sublette

Everything above resolves to Sublette as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 677 acres. Your parcel is one point inside that footprint. Slope, tree cover, a low spot that pools cold air, and what is in the soil are all resolved at the address, and none of them are visible at city scale. That is the honest boundary of this page, and the reason the next step is a reading of your own ground rather than a better local average.

Your Lot vs the Sublette Average

Sublette Average

  • USDA Zones 6b, averaged across Sublette
  • One soil character for all of Sublette
  • Frost dates read at Sublette's scale: Apr 11 to Oct 28

YOUR Parcel

  • Your exact zone, not Sublette's 6b
  • Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Sublette

Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Sublette, Kansas — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.

Three things about your lot that Sublette averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Sublette averages 200Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Sublette — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Sublette average

How we know this about Sublette

The datasets: hardiness from the USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, read at this city’s own centroid; hard-freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 28°F normals at Sublette’s own record; boundaries and acreage from US Census TIGER/Line 2025; the contamination records from the federal sources named in their beats above. Soil is not read at city grain anywhere on this page — there is no city-resolution survey in our data, which is why you will find no soil grid here rather than a statewide one wearing a local label. The resolution ledger below names every figure this page inherited.

Common questions about Sublette

When does frost risk typically end in Sublette?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Sublette typically lands around Apr 11, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — earlier than the light-frost dates most charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — lighter frosts keep biting past it, which is why tender transplants here wait until about May 2.

When is the first frost in Sublette?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Sublette typically arrives around Oct 28, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 14, so the watching starts about Sep 28 — about 200 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Sublette?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Sublette sees about 200 frost-free days — roughly Apr 11 through Oct 28, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 2 to Oct 14, about 165 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Sublette?

The federal record around Sublette shows 140 documented sites, mostly Nitrate entries (72), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile out — a typical footprint for a growing area, and proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. It's worth seeing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and testing the soil before new food beds near any of them.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Sublette?

From about Sep 28 the job here turns from planting to protecting — the last start even a 30-day crop can finish. As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Oct 28 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals), three moves buy time: row cover or an old sheet over tender plants on still, clear nights; water the soil the afternoon before a freeze, so it holds warmth overnight; and harvest tomatoes, peppers and basil before Oct 28. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Sublette's scale — its 6b band and its 200-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Sublette's numbers: we read soil, sun, drainage and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.

What this page reads at Sublette’s own scale

6 of the readings below were taken at Sublette's own scale — its own ~200-day season between 28°F freezes, the 677 acres it covers and 140 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Sublette's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Sublette's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 11 and Oct 28 and the ~200-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 140 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Sublette, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Sublette's boundary and the 677 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6b and a ~200-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Sublette's own centroid, the High PlainsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Sublette's 677 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Haskell County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Haskell County
  • The growing challenges every Kansas grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Kansas
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Haskell County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Sublette's 677 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Sublette you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 677 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile out, measured from the town centrehow we read the record
  • Where cold air settles, which slopes face the sun, and which way the wind runs on your own ground — measured at your address, and averaged away by any Sublette-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address